Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Offline multplayer

More information was released about the upcoming Turok multiplayer. It's going to be online only. =/

I'm sure I can't be the only 360 owner who doesn't have any face-to-face friends (as opposed to online friends) who also own a 360 and subscribe to Xbox Live's Gold service. I'm even more certain that a good portion of console gamers still prefer gaming with their buddies in one room to gaming with them online. It's a very different experience. And for all this talk about bringing new gamers into the market, making online multiplayer exclusive surely doesn't help.

I have nothing against online gaming, understand. I just think a lot of publishers and developers are over-estimating its appeal and importance. Offline gaming is still big business. Offline multiplayer is still big business (just look at the Wii).

For some games (perhaps for Turok), online just makes more sense. Perhaps the UI doesn't function well when reduced to a quarter of the TV screen. Perhaps it's pivotal that one player doesn't know what the other is seeing/doing (though we managed alright with Goldeneye N64). But, please, give offline multiplayer it's due. Please, developers, keep asking if it's feasible for your game. Please, publishers, don't demand online gameplay elements from your studios, because sometimes that just distracts from the game's true heart.

I'm still a big fan of offline multiplayer. So are millions of others. We crave sustenance! And online multiplayer is not a suitable substitute.